"How do you not check on me when things go wrong?
Guess I should have tried to keep my family closer, much closer
All of my "let's just be friends"
Are friends I don't have anymore
Guess it's what they say you need family for
'Cause I can't depend on you anymore"
- Drake

Bailey |

"Ms. Rogers, we're very sorry to hear about what's going on with your father, but unfortunately we will need to secure a payment for next semester in order for you to continue your studies here." I shook my head while trying to come up with a plan. I'm only one semester away from graduating with my International Baccalaureate Diploma which will basically get me into any university in the states. I've already sent in my transfer application to my dream school, Harvard. This is literally the worst time for this stuff to happen with my dad.

"I've been at this school for almost five years. There has to be something that I can do. You know I've never had any issues with payment before. I graduate next semester, so believe me I can have a full payment. I just need a little time to figure out what's going on with my father." All of mine and my father's accounts are frozen, but I know he has more than enough in cash to cover my tuition plus more. I just need to get home and put the money into my school account.

"I'll give you until the end of summer break Ms. Rogers, and that's only because of the history you have here with us."

"Thank you." I stood up and quickly made my exit. I have a flight to catch in a couple hours so I don't have any time to waste. I've been a student here at CATS Cambridge Boarding School in the UK since I was fourteen. It's one of the best schools in the world and it doesn't come cheap either. My tuition here as an international student is a little under fifty thousand dollars, which is split up between semesters and includes my boarding and meals. My daddy goes out of his way to provide the best of everything for me, so it's hard for me to even imagine him actually being taken away from me. I pulled out my cell phone and called him on the way to my dorm.

"What's up, baby girl?"

"Daddy, when will you get access back into your accounts? I just had to convince the dean not to give up my spot here due to non payment."

"I'm working on it."

"I have until the end of summer break to have the payment in or they're dropping me from the program. I need this last semester to graduate, Daddy."

"I know. I'll make sure it's taken care of."

"But-"

"Bailey, what did I say?" I stayed quiet, knowing he wasn't asking for a response. It's just his way of telling me not to question him. Which is hard to do when his face is being plastered all over the news. "Now go get ready for your flight. Make sure that you and Camille don't miss it this time. I'll see you tomorrow when you get in." He spoke before ending the call. Camille is my best friend and roommate. Also the only other black girl at this school. We met our first day here and immediately requested to be roomed together.

I tried calling my boyfriend again, but my call was sent straight to voicemail. I wasn't surprised that basically all of my friends stopped talking to me once the news about my dad came out. I knew they only talked to me because of my social status. What did shock me was that my boyfriend of two years stopped talking to me right along with them. At first I thought he just needed a minute to take in what was going on, but it's been almost a week of him ignoring me. If I don't hear from him by the time my plane lands in New York tomorrow then I'm officially ending whatever it is we have going on.

"What did the dean say?" Camille asked as soon as I walked into our dorm. Both of our beds were covered with clothes and our open suitcases so I couldn't even dramatically fall onto the bed like I wanted to.

"He's giving me to the end of summer break to have the final payment in. My dad keeps saying he's going to take care of it, but he's very limited right now."

My dad's legal team was able to get him released from jail immediately on bond, but he's on house arrest until his trial is over. House arrest is the least of my father's concerns right now. He calls the shots, he's never directly involved in any action which is why I'm confused on how they were able to build a case against him. My dad might think I'm clueless in all of this, but I've known about what he does for a while now. In the states, my father is a known mogul and businessman. Back home in Jamaica is where he's most dangerous.

"I know they froze his assets, so if it comes down to it I can ask my parents to pay your tuition. You know they'll do anything for their bonus daughter." Camille's dad is the CEO of one of my father's companies, and they live a few neighborhood's over from my father's estate in Long Island. That's why we always fly home together and take turns going back and forth from each other's houses. Their house is the only one besides my own that my father will let me stay at.

"Thanks. I'm really thankful to have you as a friend. Especially when everyone is switching up on me. Even Josh won't accept any of my calls. You're really my family, Cam." I love going to Camille's house, because they live a more normal life than I do. At home it's myself, my father, my grandmother and an estate full of staff. We have a huge family back in Jamaica, but my father rarely ever lets me travel back home with him. He claims it's too dangerous.

My mother was the only woman in Jamaica to successfully trap my father with a baby. She thought I was going to be her meal ticket, but sadly she didn't know what all my father was capable of. When she gave birth she offered to sign her rights away if he agreed to pay her five million dollars. She didn't live to see the next day. I still remember the day my father told me this story. He had proof as well. It broke my heart, and it also killed any piece of hope I had about having a mother. After my grandfather passed, my grandmother left Jamaica to move in with us and she immediately became the mother figure that I needed.

"Driver is here." Camille announced a few hours later. We had both showered, changed into comfortable clothes, and finished packing.

"I can't wait to be home." I spoke while lugging my suitcase out the dorm. This past week has been one of my worst ever. From seeing the news about my father to almost getting kicked out of school, I don't know how to deal. I just want to be by my father's side during all of this mess. Even though he'll probably be the one comforting me. I'm a certified daddy's girl, so knowing that he's in trouble has me on edge.

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"Daddy!" I called out while dropping my luggage in the foyer. He's usually at the door waiting for me when I come home.

"Ms. Bailey, your father requested that you meet him in his office. I'll deliver your bags to your room." Our butler, Harrison, spoke while taking hold of my luggage. I thanked him and walked off to my father's office. I knocked on the office door before opening it and walking in. He wasn't behind his desk when I walked in, but once I was fully inside I could see that the meeting room connected to his office had a handful of people in it. I sighed and made my way inside. I walked over to greet my father with a kiss on the cheek and went around the room to greet my uncles and everyone else I recognized. There were four people sitting across from my father who I didn't recognize at all.

"Bailey, you've definitely grown up since the last time I've seen you." The man directly across from my father spoke. He has a thick accent as well, so I'm guessing he's someone from back home. I tried to hide my confusion of not recognizing him as I gave a polite smile.

"I'm going to head to my roo-"

"Take a seat, Bailey." My father cut me off before I could make my awkward exit. I looked around the table, seeing the only free seat was next to those strangers. I looked to my dad and he nodded for me to take that seat. I know better than to ever question or talk back to him in front of company, so I sucked up my pride and walked over to take the empty seat.

"Baby girl, my case with the Feds is very serious. It's either I do prison time here or get deported. My legal team has been looking for a way around it, but at this point they're only buying me time." I could feel the tears fighting to get out, but they weren't. My dad drilled in my head early that I should never show vulnerability in front of anyone but him, my grandma, and whoever should one day become my husband.

"Do you want me to move back to Jamaica after this semester?" I questioned. I will follow my father anywhere. He's all I know.

"No. You aren't to step foot in Jamaica. You're not safe out there. You're going to stay out here. You're graduating in a couple months. Do your two years at Harvard, and then you'll be stepping up to run my companies." I tried my best not to twist up my face, but right now I'm completely confused. How am I supposed to run his companies without him?

"You want me to stay out here by myself?" There are so many questions floating around in my head and I'm annoyed that I can't ask them without upsetting my father.

"No. That's where the men next to you come into play." He motioned towards the man directly across from him who addressed me when I first walked in.

"You probably don't remember Frank here. We started off in this game together. We fell out some years back over some dumb shit and these unfortunate circumstances are the only reason we're squashing our petty beef. Frank is just as big of a target as I am, on the other hand he holds more power cards than I do here in the states. His son, Jarrell, will be partnering up with you so that our families keep control out here." I looked at the unfamiliar men seated at the table, letting my gaze linger a little longer on the one right next to me who apparently is the one I'm supposed to be working with.

"Given our history, we're going to solidify this legally." The guy Frank started. I turned my attention to him to try and grasp where this was all going. Apparently I'm the only one with questions here so I must be the last one to the party. "Today you two will be signing certified documents that will make you legal partners." One of my uncles slid a stack of documents in front of me and the guy next to me. I wasted no time starting to read over the documents.

"Wait, is this a prenuptial agreement?" I questioned while looking up from the document. I directed my question to the men sitting at the heads of the table, my father and Frank.

"It is. Baby girl you know I will never put you in a situation that I feel will harm you. I don't trust anyone running anything with my name on it more than my own daughter. I've been molding you for this position, Bailey. I don't know anyone more intelligent than you. I sent you to that expensive ass school to get you ahead of the game. You're fluent in five languages and will be going to Harvard next year as a Junior. If I can turn over everything to you I would, but there's one very important factor that I haven't equipped you with and that's the street element. You don't know the first thing about this street shit and that's where Jerrell will come into play." I still have so many questions, I just don't know how to form my exact thoughts into the right words right now. It was as if they had rehearsed this because Frank picked up right where my father ended.

"Arranged marriages are put together by families who want to set their children up for success. You both are only children. We've worked too hard for you two to be putting yourselves out there for trial in error with these juvenile relationships. We can't afford for either of you to date, fall in love, or trust the wrong person and jeopardize everything we've worked so hard to build for you two." I continued reading through the documents and when I got to the actual marriage license I looked over at my father.

"Daddy, what about our plan?"

"This is still within our plan, baby girl. Now you have the help of Jerrell as well. Trust me on this." I slowly nodded and turned back to the paperwork. I flipped back to the first page and began placing my initials and signature in the appropriate fields. With every page I finished I would slide it over to Jerrell so he could sign his parts. If my father is telling me to trust him then that's exactly what I'm going to do.

"This is the start of a very beneficial partnership. You two will be spending all your time with each other this summer getting to know each other. Once Bailey leaves back to the UK this fall to finish school we'll start training you to take over Jerrell, so make sure that your crew is ready."

"Speaking of school..." I started while slowly trailing off so that my dad will pick up on the fact that I still need payment.

"Jerrell's name should be added onto all of your accounts by the end of the week. Adding on his name will break the freeze on your accounts and you'll be able to submit your payment for school. Once you graduate, it'll be up to y'all to find a house in Massachusetts within close proximity of the college. Your education is still top priority. We're done here. Bailey, you can show Jerrell around the estate. We'll have a private talk with you two later on today." My father spoke, basically dismissing us. I rose from my seat and silently walked out of the meeting room.

Hi guys! So I've been wanting to do a story like this for the longest. Let me know your thoughts after reading the first chapter?